May 18 Board of Education Election
Board Candidates for May 18 Election
April 20, 2010
Three candidates are slated to run for two open seats on the Board of Education. Candidates run "at large" for three-year terms and the election is held on May 18, along with the budget vote.
Those set to run, in the order they will appear on the ballot, are current board president Dominic Cafarelli and newcomers Michael R. Godlewski and Mark Sabatini. Below are profiles of each candidate.
Dominic
Cafarelli
Dominic Cafarelli, of 2020 Lisa Lane, is running for his second term on the Board of Education.
He is a master barber and owner/operator of Dom’s Barber Shop. After graduating from Mohonasen High School, Cafarelli went on to the Royal Barber School, Schenectady County Community College and SUNY Plattsburgh. He also attended the University of Massachusetts for business management.
Cafarelli is the current president of the Mohonasen Board of Education, which he has served on for the past three years. He has also served on the district’s Budget Review Committee for five years.
Cafarelli is currently president of the Rotterdam Grizzlies basketball teams for Mohonasen boys and girls. He is also a former Carman Little League coach and a member of the Edgewood Independent League. Cafarelli is also a member of the Rotterdam Elks and Knights of Columbus.
He and his wife, Lucia, have three children: Nicholas, who recently graduated from Hudson Valley Community College; Lucas, who is in a 10th grade student at Mohonasen High School; and Olivia, who is in seventh grade at Draper Middle School.
“It has been my pleasure to serve on the Mohonasen Board of Education these past three years, and this last year as the board president. I truly enjoy being involved in the decision-making process and being part of the Mohonasen family,” Cafarelli said. “Since I’ve been on the board we’ve seen increasing test scores, the advancement of our campus with the EXCEL building project, the addition of new, exciting academic programs, and – along with the help of Dr. Spring and Mrs. Swezey – several responsible budgets.”
As board members, our main task is to do what’s best for kids, which is what I hope to continue to do as a member of the board,” he added.
Michael
R. Godlewski
Michael R. Godlewski, of 35 Juracka Parkway, is running for his first term on the Board of Education.
He is the assistant attorney for the Town of Rotterdam. In that role he serves as a legal advisor to the Rotterdam Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals. He is also an adjunct professor of paralegal studies at Mildred Elley.
After graduating from Mohonasen High School, Godlewski went on to Skidmore College and the New England School of Law. He is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Schenectady County Bar Association.
Godlewski is a parishioner at St. John the Evangelist Church in Schenectady. He is also a member of the Rotterdam Town Democratic Committee and an officer with the Polish National Alliance Lodge.
“We need to keep taxes reasonable and affordable for all district residents. As a board member, I would focus on eliminating unnecessary oversight and encourage less micromanagement. Let’s let our teachers do their jobs freely,” Godlewski said.
"As a board member, I would encourage an open dialogue between the residents, teachers, union representatives, administration and students in order to ensure that everyone affected has a voice in the decision-making process,” he added. “I would have a visible presence in the community and at school functions. I would be mindful of the positive experiences and life lessons extracurricular activities such as athletics and the arts provide to our students and give due consideration before cutting their budgets.”
Mark
Sabatini
Mark Sabatini, of 1847 Ferguson Street, is running for his first term on the Board of Education.
He is an industrial sales/project manager for Schneider Electric. After graduating from Mohonasen High School, Sabatini went on to Hudson Valley Community College and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
He has served as a chaperone/volunteer for the Mohonasen Marching Band, a volunteer with Mohon Masque and as a host parent for five foreign exchange students. He also served on the district’s Budget Review Committee in 2008.
Sabatini also works as the director for the Journey Retreat Program; a Faith Formation Instructor at St. Gabriel’s the Archangel Church; as a member of the Instrumentation Society of America executive board; and as a staff member of the Albany Diocese Formation for Ministry.
He and his wife, Nora, have three children: Audrey, a 2009 graduate of MHS and a current senior at the Institut Sainte – Begue in Andenne, Belgium; Daniel, a current senior at MHS; and Olivia, a freshman at MHS.
“My wife, Nora, and I are both products of the Mohonasen School District. My primary motivation for running for the board is my desire to give back to the school district that has meant so much to me and my family,” Sabatini said.
"How do we properly prepare our children to live in a highly competitive, constantly changing world? This is not a new question, but these times require a different answer then that of 10 or 20 years ago,” he said. “The debates and subsequent solutions that our school board will suggest to answer that question is what I hope to participate in as a new board member.”
I believe my 27 years of industrial sales experience, as well as more than 10 years of volunteer work in our community, can add additional common sense approaches within the complex culture called our education system,” he added.
